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This mystery series is set in the southern English coastal town of Hastings during World War II. Michael Kitchen plays the title role of Detective Chief Superintendent Christopher Foyle. He is assisted by his plucky female driver Samantha “Sam” Stewart (played by Honeysuckle Weeks) and his war-injured but capable sergeant (played by Anthony Howell). The highly observant Foyle thoroughly supports the war effort but not at the expense of justice being served. Sam’s chatty, ever optimistic “can do” personality contrasts well with Foyle’s formal and often taciturn demeanor. Each 100-minute episode revolves around a murder or other serious crime and aspects of the war such as profiteering, German bombardments, or the assimilation of American GIs. The early episodes exude an undercurrent of trepidation about an imminent German invasion. Long time jumps between some episodes are reportedly owing to scripts dropped when the series, which premiered in 2002, was canceled in 2008. Production has resumed, and the seventh season will be broadcast on PBS this fall. Though the price is dear, the collection is a bargain over buying individual sets at $50–$60 each. VERDICT Well acted with nicely paced plots and fine attention to historical accuracy, Foyle’s War is highly recommended to fans of traditional British mysteries or World War II dramas.—Lawrence Maxted, Gannon Univ. Lib., Erie, PA

After a meteor crash-lands in a small Pennsylvania town, an elderly curmudgeon (Olin Howland) investigates, only to be consumed by the dollop of red jelly contained therein. Before the unfortunate fellow can be completely digested, he is rescued by two teens (“Steven” McQueen in a career-launching role and Aneta Corsaut, the future Helen Crump on The Andy Griffith Show) who transport him to a doctor (Stephen Chase). The viscous villain proceeds to ingest not only the elderly man but the doctor and his nurse (Lee Payton), then goes on a rampage in the town, devouring everything in its path. Extras on this Blu-ray edition of the glorious and gooey 1958 cult classic include a terrific essay by critic Kim Newman and “Blobabilia!,” an extensive compilation of Blob-related stills, posters, and behind-the-scenes photographs gathered by Blobophile Wes Swank. VERDICT From the insanely cheerful theme song (composed by Burt Bacharach and sung over a cartoon of joyfully expanding baby blobs) to its amorphous, question mark “End,” this film is a delightful trip down B movie memory lane. A must-see for all horror fans.—Jeanne Bogino, New Lebanon Lib., NY

Journalist Lawrence Wright drew on his extensive experience in the Arab world to write The Looming Tower: Al-Qaeda and the Road to 9/11, and following the book’s publication in 2006, Wright staged a one-man performance based on it. This film now brings that performance to viewers. We see Wright on stage, behind the scenes in the makeup chair, and walking the streets of Cairo and other Middle Eastern cities, while we hear him explore the emotional aspects and moral dilemmas of his work. Wright traces the roots of Islamic terrorism back to the 1981 assassination of Egyptian president Anwar Sadat and to the conditions under which men accused of assisting in the plot were held. “To understand Egyptian prisons,” Wright says, “is to understand the roots of Islamic terror.” The story that Wright tells is, on the one hand, deeply personal. His grief and anger following the 9/11 attacks are obvious. Simultaneously, his story is grounded in solid research and his experience as a reporter. VERDICT Gibney and Wright have done an excellent job of exploring the complex and confusing issues behind Islamic terrorism and the toll terrorism and the war against it have taken on the United States and the world. This is a compelling and haunting film. Viewers will find themselves thinking about it long after the credits have rolled across the screen.—Rosemary Arneson, Univ. of Mary Washington Lib., Fredericksburg, VA

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The following titles are reviewed in the June 15 print issue. Visit Book Verdict for the full reviews.